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Rainbow Sash Movement to Enter Holy Name Cathedral

A Time for Prayer and Integrity

The Chicago Rainbow Sash Movement will be entering Holy Name Cathedral for the Chrism Mass. This Mass will be held on Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 2:30PM during Holy Week.

The Sash is a symbol of self identification that the wearer is either Catholic LGBT or a straight ally. Contrary to what Cardinal George says it is about self identification not a political statement or dissent.

Because this Mass will be attended by the broad spectrum of Catholic leadership of the Archdiocese to include Cardinal Francis George, his auxiliary Bishops, and the vast majority of clergy and religious of the Archdiocese seating will best be gotten if you arrive by 2PM. If you plan on joining us further details will be made available. Joe Murray will be the spokes person for the Rainbow Sash Movement in attendance.

It is our tradition to put on the Rainbow Sash when the processional and music begins. Than we celibate the Liturgy like any other Catholics in a prayerful and respectful manner. When Communion is distributed we approach the altar for Communion. If we are denied Communion we return to our pew and remain standing until the end of the Liturgy, should we receive Communion we will kneel after returning to our pews.

Rainbow Sash Movement News

Will Cardinal George Welcome GOP Presidential Candidates with an Endorsement of Rick Santorum?

The GOP Primary will be held in Illinois on March 20 at stake for each of the Republican Presidential candidates are 69 GOP Illinois delegates. Rick Santorum’s anti-Gay and anti-women positions should play well in Illinois since it is aligned with Cardinal George and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.As a fundamentalist Catholic, Santorum shares the same values, beliefs and viewpoints as Cardinal Francis George.

While the Cardinal may not openly endorse any of the GOP candidates look for him to push the cultural war buttons that align with Santorum positions. His Eminence has become adapt at playing the political card in the name of religious freedom. Of course his subjective religious freedom position has nothing to do with the objective religious freedom position that is enshrined in the US Constitution. One would think that to mean a Catholic GOP Presidential Candidate is as good as a Mormon Presidential Candidate an idea the Cardinal has difficulty promoting among members of the Illinois Catholic Conference.

.The Cardinal has consistently used the pulpit at Holy Name Cathedral to attack the social justice cause of the LGBT Community, and of women. He continues to use the celebration of the Eucharist as a forum to promote homophobia, sexism and his political agenda over the spirit of the Gospels. His claims of the White House’s war on religious liberty are nothing but political fiction

 We remind our fellow Catholics that Catholic Social Doctrine demands that we weigh multiple issues including economic inequality and the environment.Cardinal George would have us  focus on divisive cultural issues over the economy and jobs, and use the pulpit at Holy Name Cathedral to do it..

Recently we witnessed Cardinal Francis George’s attack on the Gay Rights Movement comparing it to KKK. He lost that public opinion battle under the spot light of intense media coverage which generated reasonableness and fairness.

Also he attacked the rights of LGBT Couples to adopt children. When he lost that state wide battle as head of the Illinois Catholic Conference he had all the Catholic Charities adoption agencies in the state closed rather than allow LGBT couples to adopt. He is now threatening to do the same thing with Catholic Hospitals over the issue of women’s health.

Not satisfied with this he turned his sights on Governor Pat Quinn as the leading Catholic politician in Illinois pushing for passage of Civil Unions. The Governor was present at dinner in honor of a rap victim who speaks out for other victims. The Cardinal later indicated he acted without full knowledge of the situation and walked away from his comments about the governor without publicly apologizing to him.

Don’t be surprised if Cardinal George uses the media attention around the March GOP primary as another opportunity to attack both lesbians/gays and women in the name of Church Teaching.We in the Gay and Lesbian Community need to be reminded from time to time that Catholics support legal recognition of gay relationships, with 44% supporting actual marriage, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll released last month. A Public Religion Research Institute survey found similar results last year: “nearly three-quarters of Catholics favor either allowing gay and lesbian people to marry (43%) or allowing them to form civil unions (31%). Only 22% of Catholics say there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple’s relationship.” The Cardinal definitely does not speak for the “People of God” in this matter, he only represents the corporate entity.

Mary Anderson
Rainbow Sash Movement

 

Statement from Joe Murray, Executive Director of the Rainbow Sash Movement

I read the Cardinal’s Apology on the Chicago Archdiocesan web site. The Cardinal spoke directly to us in sincere language. Our Board of the Directors has instructed me to immediately call for a cancellation of planned demonstration outside of the Cathedral on Sunday. We got what we ask for and that was an apology. I will be in communication with the Gay Liberation Network requesting that they also honor our call to cancel demonstration.

I want to thank the Cardinal for his sincere words, and ask the Chicago Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender community to receive this apology as a sincere attempt at reconciliation. I believe we can now put this matter behind us.

 

The Rainbow Sash Movement Supports the Call for a Demonstration outside Holy Name Cathedral.

Contact the Rainbow Sash Movement click here.

The Rainbow Sash Movement (RSM) wishes to throw its support behind the Gay Liberation Network and other individuals organizing this effort. The planned demonstration outside of Holy Name Cathedral is set for the 12 Noon Mass this coming Sunday, January 8. We had hoped by now that Cardinal Francis George would have issued a public apology for his remarks of comparing the gay liberation movement to the KKK.

We would also like to chastise the Cardinal for his chronic “managing” of this scandal. We had hoped that the Cardinal had a change of heart when he had his follow up statement justifying his original statement removed from the Archdiocese web site.

Trust is a necessary component between a Sheppard and his flock. Currently that level of trust is lacking because of the Cardinal’s irresponsible actions in this matter. The RSM believes he seriously endangers the identity and unity of the Catholic Church by these bigoted actions. He brings a cloud of suspicion over the Archdiocese’s commitment to the 10 pillars of Social Justice that the Church should be promoting.

We are asking that other LGBT Community groups both Catholic and non Catholic support this action as a sign of community solidarity that that Cardinal’s comments about the GLBT Community were wrong.

We again call on the Cardinal Francis George to follow in the footsteps of Archbishop Dolan current president of US Conference of Catholic Bishops in apologizing to the LGBT Community.

Board of Directors
Rainbow Sash Movement

The Rainbow Sash Movement released the following statement today concerning Cardinal George’s equating the gay community with the KKK

Contact the Rainbow Sash Movement click here.

The Rainbow Sash Movement (RSM) continues to call on Cardinal Francis George of Chicago to apologize to the Chicago Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender (GLBT) Community for his scandalous metaphor of comparing the gay liberation movement to the KKK. We believe the Cardinal harsh words undermine the Church’s call of service to the young, the elderly, the poor, the marginalized and the disenfranchised.

His self-serving personal bias against the GLBT Community (Pride Parade) is a knee jerk reaction to his and the Catholic Conference of Illinois recent political loss regarding Civil Unions, and the closing down of Catholic Charities adoption agencies across Illinois for their promotion of discrimination against Gay Couples who wish to adopt.

Joe Murray the Executive Director of the Rainbow Sash Movement said “I would remind Cardinal George that there is no Catholic teaching to support selective fairness.”

Murray further said “Even Archbishop Dolan current president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops said in the aftermath of the passage of Gay Marriage in New York that he apologizes to the New York Gay Community. He is quoted in the National Catholic Reporter as saying “to the gay community, I love you very much.” And felt compelled to apologize for statement that might of implied otherwise.”

Cardinal George’s comments equating the gay liberation movement with the KKK were scandalous and unacceptable to most reasonable Catholics. Certainly if Archbishop Dolan can apologize for his harmful comments during the Gay Marriage debate in New York, Cardinal George should do no less.

Cardinal George’s stubborn refusal to apologize thus far not only forces us to obey our consciences in calling for an apology, but also his removal from office whether that be through resignation or promotion to a Vatican Office.  The Cardinal’s word seriously endangers the identity and unity of the Catholic Community in Chicago.

We seek reconciliation with the Cardinal, but the first step in that journey is for him to issue a clear apology for his scandalous remarks, and not to parse and analyze it with the gimlet eye of a canon lawyer.

Board of Directors
Rainbow Sash Movement

Rainbow Sash Movement Responds to the Illinois Catholic Conference

Responding to the Illinois Catholic Conference letter to Governor Pat Quinn.

December 9, 2011

The Honorable Patrick Quinn
Governor of Illinois

Dear Governor Quinn:

I am writing this letter to you in response to the November 16 letter sent to you and co-signed by Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, and the other 11 Bishops that compromise the Illinois Catholic Conference.

Thank you for not only your support, but also your leadership in passing the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act it was the right and fair thing to do.

Like you I am practicing Roman Catholic and understand that catholic tradition has always taught us to face the goal of the Gospels while at the same time being grounded in the reality of complex situations that we live in. The Primacy of Conscience applies to both of us and the Bishops. As the Governor of Illinois and a person of faith your internal forum must also be valued and respected. In my opinion, it is disrespectful of your personhood and your office for any to judge you in the media without first meeting with you. This is just good pastoral practice.

The issue of abortion and civil unions are matters of law in our state, and it’s my hope that the Bishops are not asking you to violate those based on their understanding of what Vatican II says. Vatican II also has great deal to say about the “Sense of the Faithful” and that is where you and I fit in. On the other hand it has absolutely nothing to say about Civil Unions contrary to what the Bishops are implying in their letter.

Concerning the cessation of adoptions and foster care services through Catholic Charities; sadly children were not a first priority on the part of Catholic Charities and the Illinois Catholic Conference other considerations took precedence.

For the Bishops to imply that the state is murdering children because of your pro-life and pro-choice positions’ is just as reckless as saying all the Bishops were responsible for the clergy sexual abuse scandal. Such generalizations might play well with certain radicalized elements among the bishops base, but they are not a fair and just assessment of your position.

Again, thank you for all the good you do for our state.

I wish both you and your family a wonderful and safe Christmas season.

Sincerely,

Joe Murray
Executive Director
Rainbow Sash Movement